


Head Count

by wolfenboy



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Thiam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 01:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12333162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfenboy/pseuds/wolfenboy
Summary: Fixing the series finale from a thiam POV!





	Head Count

The halls were empty when he walked in—medical charts laying open on the counter. Sheets of paper all over the floor. The smell of hatred and fear lingering in the waiting room. Theo glanced around the room as he entered, looking and listening for the armed gunmen he knew were in the building. There were so many people moving through the space that it was hard to pick out individual scents, but there was one that stood out, stronger than the rest. Familiar. Liam’s scent.

He followed it to the elevator. Scott said Liam was on the sixth floor. As Theo pressed the button he shoved his hands in his pockets, not sure how he ended up on the fringe of the pack. At first he’d been desperate to prove himself so they wouldn’t send him back to hell. Back to her. His breath caught in his throat as he remembered Tara—the fear, the guilt, both new to him. The Wild Hunt had shaken things loose inside that Theo though he’d killed a long time ago. Survival had transformed into something else, and he found himself living out of his car, driving through Beacon Hills and the surrounding area, ready in case he was called on by any member of the pack.

Except it wasn’t any member that called him. It was just one, and he was stuck on the sixth floor facing down a small army that would kill him just for being who he was, what he was. Theo felt a ripple of anger. That wasn’t new when it came to Liam—the young wolf had a way of pushing buttons that was different from everyone else. A way that made Theo angry at himself. But not now. Now everything was focused on the sounds several floors above that his ears were straining to hear. Voices, footsteps, metal on metal. Guns.

Theo moved to the door, letting his claws out. Survival meant being prepared for the worst case scenario. Ready for anything. Several moves ahead. All that disappeared when he picked up Liam’s voice. Liam’s heartbeat. And the sound of gunfire.

The doors slid open. The smell of Liam mixed with panic filled the air. Theo didn’t think, he didn’t plan. He grabbed Liam and pulled him inside, mashing the elevator button with his free hand—doors closing just in time to save them from a hail of bullets. Theo didn’t smell blood, only sweat and confusion.

‘What are you doing here?’ Liam’s eyes darted from Theo to the metal doors being assaulted from the other side.

‘I was just asking myself the same thing.’ The bullets stopped. Theo knew he should be listening to what was happening on the other side of the doors. He knew he should be thinking, planning, coming up with a way to escape. Instead everything was focused on Liam. Theo wasn’t sure when things changed. He wasn’t sure why his body betrayed him again and again when it came to the younger wolf, but he found himself wanting to protect him with everything he had. Energy that had always been reserved for saving his own skin. It shook him. If he couldn’t trust his instincts, couldn’t put his own survival at the front, he had no control. That made Liam a liability. The old Theo would have disposed of him quickly—there was no room for weakness. 

Instead he found himself staring as Liam calmed his breathing, listening to the heartbeats outside.

‘They still out there?’ Theo asked. The ones that wanted to kill Liam. Wanted to kill them all.

Liam gave a small nod. Theo glanced at his face—no fear. Liam was calm. Focused. Theo was about to suggest taking the elevator to the lobby and jumping in the car, but he stopped before the words got to his lips. 

Liam wouldn’t leave. Liam was too much like Scott. A jolt of anger stabbed Theo. He wasn’t like Scott. He would never be like Scott. But he wasn’t going to run and leave Liam alone. Unprotected. Lone wolves don’t survive long in the wild.

‘Look, I’m not dying for you.’ The best he could come up with.

‘I’m not dying for you either.’ Liam responded. No anger. No lashing out. He was so close Theo could feel the heat from his body. Liam, who had broken his nose several times. Liam, who had bared fangs and claws at him over and over. Liam, who had pulled him from hell and the nightmare he deserved to re-live again and again.

Theo didn’t plan, he didn’t think. He closed the space between them, pulling Liam into a kiss. He felt the younger wolf respond without hesitation. For a second everything else was pushed aside. There was only the kiss. He felt Liam’s hand got to the side of his neck, supporting, reassuring.

Theo pulled back, anger at his vulnerability taking the place of desire. Liam’s hand gripped his arm, squeezing gently.

‘But I will fight with you.’

‘Okay.’ In an instant Theo felt his old instincts die. No more running. No more hiding. He would stand here with Liam. Fight with Liam. Protect Liam.

‘Let’s fight.’

Liam nodded, letting his claws and fangs emerge. Theo felt himself respond instantly, eyes turning gold to match Liam’s.

Theo looked at the younger wolf, still listening to the men on the other side of the door. He gave a nod. Theo hit the button to open the elevator doors. They slid back, revealing the hunters scrambling to reload their weapons.

With a roar they bolted out of the elevator, rushing the nearest hunters as they opened fire. Theo’s mind was blank—this was life or death, no time to plan or think. He watched Liam, moving in sync with his attacks. Liam was aware of where Theo was and where he was going to be, moving to compliment.

Liam hadn’t said it, but Scott repeated it enough—no killing. At first Theo thought it was a naive idea. Even in nature animals kill each other to survive, but Scott’s rule was the backbone of the pack, and Liam had inherited it. As Theo slammed a hunter into the wall, tossing his gun away, he wondered when that had changed for him too.

They made their way down the hall, working together. Theo felt a rush of adrenaline as Liam dove to the floor. He knew what Liam wanted him to do, jumping at the hunter and knocking him over Liam’s back, then tossing him aside together.

The click of a magazine caught Theo’s attention. He turned, ready to step in front of Liam when Scott’s mother rounded the corner with a shock baton, unleashing it on the half-conscious hunter. 

Theo’s eyes darted to Nolan close behind her, assessing. He tensed up when Nolan grabbed a semi-automatic. The teenager brought it down hard on a second hunter’s head as he tried to get up, dropping him to the floor. His eyes met Theo’s for a moment before flicking behind him.

‘Get down!”

They turned in time to see Gabe lift the sub machine gun, taking aim. Theo pushed Liam forward, keeping them both low as they bolted down the hall as fast as possible. The bullets sprayed everywhere, filling the air. Theo moved to cover Liam, a bullet biting into his shoulder before he could fully shield his body.

Pain jolted him as he fell to the floor. The smell of gunfire was everywhere, burning his nose. Theo slumped against the wall, trying to push himself up. He saw Gabe stalking back to the gurneys to get more ammo. Liam shot past towards Gabe with a roar. Theo pushed through the pain in his shoulder to get to his feet. He needed to help Liam.

A flash of red went by—Nolan rushing in.

Liam struggled to keep Gabe’s gun aiming away from them, last few shots going off into the ceiling as they struggled. 

Theo saw the new muzzle flare from the other side of the room—gunshots echoing. His heart lurched as he watched Liam fall to the ground. Several shots hit Gabe in the chest, blood going everywhere.

Nolan leaped forward, bringing a fire extinguisher down on the hunter’s head. Theo forced himself to his feet. By the time he stumbled over to Liam, Gabe had crawled to the wall, propping himself up against the storage cabinets.

Theo glanced at the younger wolf—no wounds. He was alright. But Liam’s eyes were focused on Gabe, bleeding onto the floor.

‘It hurts.’ The teenager’s voice was laced with pain. Several bullets were lodged in his torso—puncturing lungs and arteries. The sight of him there, the blood flowing over Gabe’s hands, the fear in his eyes—drew Theo forward. 

He knew Gabe. He had been like him once. Through some twist of fate there had been people there for him in some capacity. People that had drawn him out of the dark he spent most of his life in. Liam, who had made himself responsible for Theo. Liam, who cared for him.

Theo looked down at Gabe. The young hunter looked at him with a mix of fear and mistrust on his face. Theo studied the wounds—he knew Scott would try to save Gabe if he had been there, but there was no fixing this.

When he leaned down and gently took Gabe’s arm he felt the mistrust disappear, leaving only a desperate fear of death and excruciating pain in its place. He listened to Gabe’s heart hammering in his chest. He heard the heartbeats of everyone behind him, watching. He heard Liam’s speed up when he realized what Theo was doing.

Gabe looked up at him, desperate. Pleading. Theo didn’t look away. No more running. No more hiding. He felt Gabe’s pain—sharp and slick inside of him, filling him up. Theo called to it, drawing it out into his own body. The pain made him gasp. He didn’t know it would hurt so much, nearly letting go. The relief in Gabe’s eyes stopped him. Theo focused on the pain, drawing more and more out until there was nothing left for Gabe but peace.

Gabe’s breathing changed, easy and free.

‘Does it hurt anymore?’ Theo asked.

Gabe shook his head. Theo could feel him starting to slip away.

‘Good.’

Then Gabe was gone.

Theo let go of his arm, standing slowly. He was vaguely aware of the pack moving around him. Then Liam was at his side, guiding him away.

#

 

He sat outside on the steps. Nurses and orderlies busy with the influx of people streaming in following the aftermath of their war.

Theo watched the clouds rolling in the sky as the sunlight faded. He couldn’t stop the tears. His heart was swimming in Gabe’s pain. The fear of death that had come with it was alive inside of him, waking up memories of Tara. Of the terrible things he had done. Of the people he had killed and the pain he had inflicted. All of his senses were so consumed he didn’t hear Liam settle in beside him until the young wolf pressed into his side.

‘Hey. You alright?’

Theo wiped his eyes, tears flowing freely.

‘They won’t stop.’

Liam sat in silence. Taking pain wasn’t as simple as Scott always made it look, and for someone like Theo, who had never cared about anyone but himself until now, it would hit hard and deep. Theo’s scent was coloured with fear and doubt. Liam frowned—the older boy was usually cocky and confidant. Two traits that annoyed Liam more than anything. Two traits he missed in Theo at the moment.

It was a small gesture, out of sight but not hidden. Liam’s fingers entwined with Theo's, squeezing gently. 

Theo exhaled, feeling the rush of everything that had happened over the past few weeks leave him. Suddenly he felt lighter, Liam leaning into him. The warmth of his body set Theo at ease.

‘You kissed me.’ He said.

‘No, you kissed me.’ Liam pulled back, but not away.

‘Well, you’re holding my hand.’

‘You could’ve moved yours.’

‘It was an accident.’

Liam looked down—Theo’s hand holding his own, fitting perfectly together.

‘It’s still happening.’

‘Still an accident.’ Theo leaned in. Liam’s lips were slightly chapped and warm. The kiss was quiet and gentle. Theo felt the last of Gabe’s pain settle and fade. In its place there was something new—a warm feeling that was unfamiliar. That didn’t feel like it could be used as a weapon.

‘I think I’m happy.’

‘What?’ Liam perked up. He pushed against Theo with his shoulder before puling him to his feet.

‘Where’re we going?’ Liam pulled him towards the car.

‘Scott, food, shower, sleep. In that order.’ The young wolf said, getting Theo into the car.

‘I don’t—‘

‘You’re crashing at my place.’

‘But your—‘

‘Parents won’t mind.’

‘But I—‘

Liam leaned in catching Theo in a quick kiss.

‘Shut up and put your seatbelt on.’

Theo buckled up as Liam pulled off the curb, a smile growing on his face. 

He didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, but he had a plan now. His last plan. 

Protect Liam. 

Be with Liam.


End file.
